Daniel Fisher

When and how did you get into climbing and what kept you interested / fascinated in the sport

My dad was dragging me to the crag while I was still in nappies; however I didn't start training or competing until 2000(roughly). I think my father and older brother both played a huge role in getting me interested at an early age, however nowadays I love being outdoors at the cliff, my main passion and motivation comes from falling off hard moves then powering up and puzzle solving my way through them.

Who was your childhood hero and do you consider yourself a role model now? Does it influence you at all that other people look up to you?

I spent the first few years astounded and impressed by my father's outdoor achievement of climbing a grade 25 (7b). In later years local climbing legends like Andrew Bull and Chris Webb-Parsons and Rob LeBreton.

Being a teacher as well as a climber I think I have the opportunity to influence the outlook of many different people. If people do look up to me as a role model I can only hope people can gauge and take positive.

What were the most important milestones in your life so far, both in climbing and in everyday life? Did you immediately recognize them as such or only later on?

The day I got married was a pretty big one for me. I think climbing wise my first ever 23(7a) meant a lot, in more recent times my first ever V12 (8A+) Flash was pretty amazing, I had been saving it for over a year and on the day it came together perfectly. Making semi-finals in the 2011 Youth World Climbing Championships was a pretty special memory, but bitter sweet after slipping off very early on.

What were your greatest failures / setbacks / injuries? How did you cope with them and how did you come back from them?

I am currently 10mth back into climbing after 2ish years of on/off climbing due to a finger pulley injury. That two year break with very little climbing was a very hard time for me. Until that point I don't think I had ever realised how much a part of my life climbing is. Since then I have been training every two days and loving every minute.

Do you have a strict training schedule for when and how you train throughout the year?

No strict schedule, if there is a competition coming up or I have planned a trip ill train more specifically for that, otherwise I boulder in a 45degree cave every two days for about 3hrs. Sometimes ill do a little extra strength and conditioning to supplement this but not often.

What advice can you give to somebody looking to improve their training routine?

Reflection is key, you need to pick one of your weaknesses and figure a way to make this one of your strengths; then pick another weakness and repeat

Is it possible for anybody to eventually perform a one-armed pull-up or get to the top of the Eiger/Matterhorn, or do you really have to be born for it?

I think there are definitely advantages you can have before undertaking any great journey. However I think with the correct training program you can achieve all your goals.

How important is it to set goals in professional sports? What are your goals / targets you are working towards in climbing and in life?

I think everyone needs to set goals, but they are very specific to the person and their needs. My current major goal is to get stronger- which might not work for other people but that's all I need at the moment. In the future I might set specific climbs or boulders as goals, however I find after achieving these you need to have new goals ready otherwise motivation can take a large dip